Thursday, 4 September 2014

White God (Feher Isten) Review

Are you ready for the dawn of the
dawn of the planet of the dogs? Featuring a cast of hundreds of pooches unleashed on city streets, White God is a powerful,
emotional and ultimately hilarious dog apocalypse.

When 13
year old Lili is forced to get rid of her best friend and beloved
mutt Hagen, it begins a story of horror and heartbreak for both the girl and
her dog. Intercutting between the increasingly brutal treatment that Hagen
finds himself at the hands of, and Lili's descent into teen rebellion as a
response to the loss of her dog, White God is like Lassie Come Home on steroids.

The real
star of White Dog is the dog Hagen, who turns from loveable pet into
a transformed monster by the end. It is heart breaking to witness
the level of cruelty some men are capable of and Hagen goes through hell in the
film. The animal performance is astounding from the desperation in his eyes to
the wild fury and savagery he demonstrates in later scenes.

It is the final
act that elevates White God into
something truly special. Man's best friend becomes man's worst nightmare in this brilliant
but barking mad set piece. The conventions of the zombie movie and the serial
killer slasher get dished out, and you are guaranteed to be howling in your
seat in the final scenes.

Furiously
entertaining with a perfect ending, White God is like 280 Dogs Later; an
underdog story with some serious bite.

White God was the winner of the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes 2014 and is playing at the BFI London Film Festival 2014 at the following times: